One of the many aspects of the very anti-free trade “free trade” to which we have for decades been subjected – is the massive intellectual property (IP) theft conducted by China and other nations. China alone steals more than $360 billion worth per annum – and has been doing so for decades.

About which we have done…absolutely nothing. To preserve the illusion of “free trade,” we have pretended that these ongoing, multi-trillion-dollar heists – weren’t happening. We periodically sit down with China to negotiate the next “free trade” deal – and pretend the giant IP theft elephant seated next to us…isn’t seated next to us.

Now-President Donald Trump is now-President Donald Trump – in part because he repeatedly pointed out that the “free trade” emperor – is stark naked:

“‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’…is a short tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen…(about a) vain Emperor who…hires two weavers who promise him the finest, best suit of clothes from a fabric invisible to anyone who is either unfit for his position or ‘hopelessly stupid.’ The Emperor’s ministers cannot see the clothes themselves, but pretend that they can for fear of appearing unfit for their positions, and the Emperor does the same. Finally, the weavers report that the suit is finished, they mime dressing him, and the Emperor marches in procession before his subjects. The townsfolk play along with the pretense, not wanting to appear unfit for their positions or stupid. Then, a child in the crowd, too young to understand the desirability of keeping up the pretense, blurts out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all, and the cry is taken up by others. The Emperor suspects the assertion is true but continues the procession.”

The Emperor is the Washington, D.C. Establishment. The weavers are our “free trade” partners like China. The ministers are our trade negotiators. Trump is the kid – who cares not for inane pretense and finally calls male cow manure on the whole global scam.

Trump on the campaign trail repeatedly cried out “America is getting ripped off.” He isn’t at all wrong. But as he addresses trade enemies foreign – he shouldn’t allow enemies domestic to remain in place to continue to do us harm.

Behold Michelle Lee. Trump inherited her from the Barack Obama Administration as “Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.” On January 19 (Inauguration Eve), this was the story: “President-elect Donald Trump has decided to keep former Google executive Michelle Lee on as director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, according to Rep. Darrell Issa….”

Hmmm. And yesterday, we were delivered this: “Although the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) continues to decline comment on the status of Michelle Lee, as of 6:43pm EST on Monday, January 23, 2017, the Commerce Department staff webpage lists Lee as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office….However, the Commerce Department leadership webpage continues to list the position of USPTO Director as ‘Vacant.’…If you click through to Michelle Lee’s staff page on the Commerce website you see that her page was last updated on March 24, 2015.”

It would appear that, maybe, the Trump Administration hasn’t yet decided to re-ensconce Obama’s Lee. Good – they absolutely should not. She is antithetical to the position of USPTO Director – and Trump’s desire for IP protection enforcement.

As has been repeatedly documented, the Obama Administration was, in fact, the Google Administration. Google flooded the administration with personnel – the administration flooded Google with crony policy favoritism.

Where was Lee pre-USPTO? Shocker – at Google. As Head of Patents and Patent Strategy. And what is Google’s patent strategy – indeed, its entire approach to the entirety of IP? Let’s just say…it’s very China-esque.

I’m pretty sure that, were I serious about IP protection, I would not look to Google for IP staffers. President Obama did. President Trump shouldn’t.

Thankfully, Google-Obama’s anti-IP Michelle Lee is a bullet the Trump Administration can still dodge. They absolutely should.

Trump should instead appoint someone who shares his respect for IP and patents – as his Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Just a thought….

This is a guest post by Seton Motley Founder and President of Less Government